I love staying connected with each of you, and I'm writing to remind you that I am still around, writing about sewing. However, like Kyle, you'll find me on Instagram (@gyldenege or @mistyvalleymystics) these days doing what many consider microblogging, a few sentences or a paragraph along with a photo or two.

This has been a difficult year at times, a relationship ended that left a profound impact on my heart. I pulled away to spend as much time in nature and sewing as I could. Sewing is my therapy and nature soothes my soul. I posted many a photo of my summer evenings spent swimming in the cool salty waters of the Puget Sound.

And this year has also been filled with so much joy, friendship, community, and travel. Plastic-free July helped spurn me to make changes in my grocery purchases and how much single-use plastic I purchase and use. A group of 5 of us painted and opened, The Ethereal Temple. I got to listen to Mirna read from her book and meet with Brooks Sports and the pattern makers for REI at the Less Labels, More Sizes trunk show where REI revealed it is stepping into the plus-sized market. What a thrill! I even got to take a workshop from my favorite bio-mechanist, Katy Bowman. I wouldn't change a thing.

The last several years have been an unfolding and discovering who I truly am, not who I think people want me to be for them. I don't believe we can maintain a life lived for others if we do not choose to live it for our own purposes first. This might sound selfish, but if you do not put your own oxygen mask on first, how do you live a happy, healthy life where you can serve the greatest good of all?

One of the challenges I have been wrestling with is where to go with my sewing, how much time to spend writing about it vs. how much time devoted to doing it. The more I think over the years of blogging, the more I recall how happy I was doing my personal challenge of sharing my dance halloween costume of the Goddess Nike from design through dancing in it. Likewise, if you followed me through October 2018, I just adoreddrawing for Inktober using Camille and Drawlloween prompts.

This has lead me to realize that I am a project or challenge based person. I thrive on cycles, much like nature. I prefer to devote myself to a cause that has a definitive end which allows me to ramp up and down, effectively having my own seasons. I work deeply and I enjoy it. Deep work also demands deep recovery and review.

The beginning of a project is the dream time, the winter. That is when the idea is coaxed into being, germinated and must break through the soil. Then, begins the joyful, devoted work of growing, blooming, and bringing materials into form, such would be spring. When the project is in full bloom or ready to harvest, that would be where my energies would thrive much like harvesting a field or gathering nuts for the winter. And finally, there must be an end, a winter where we give thanks for what was and mourn the end of such a glorious project.

Often in our current society, grief and mourning are shameful and hidden. However, I believe that if we do not honor what was and allow the grief to work through us, to finish out and release, like the decaying of leaves, then we miss out on the potential that the decay will fertilize our future projects. There is a reason the humanity honors the cycles of the year. And I for one, must honor that I am as cyclical as the sun, the moon, the stars and our beloved planet.

Some of you may have read my dreams of starting a sewing business over the years. Others have heard me hint at writing books. I've toyed with designing patterns, and even in-person teaching above and beyond this blog and other articles. I have a feeling once I honor my nature by sharing here with you, I can make new commitments to myself and set new sewing goals. It's important to release those UFO's that aren't working, to put-to-bed the projects that aren't profitable, and to clear away the clutter.

And so, because I must align with nature to feel more at home with myself, and in being fully myself, I honor my own nature of cycles and time-banded projects, I will share with you as I choose to take on a challenge that I feel will add value to your world and mine.

In the spirit of cycles and projects, I'd like to share my next big endeavour: A Wetsuit. My summer endeavors have left me wanting to swim, no matter the weather here in the Pacific Northwest and no matter that our waters are roughly 50F year round. I did swim in it this September and met a lovely new friend who delighted in my new Jalie swimsuit and Espresso leggings. She wanted to recommend my garment maker to her tri-athlete niece! Can you believe that?

As a teaser, here's a current project I'm nearly done with. I needed to grade up just a smidge as a couple injuries have kept me from being active this year and I've gained a little weight. Can you guess what it is?

Bravo Bella has 2 different swimsuit patterns. This is Bravo Swim 2 with the racerback option. Both accommodate great bra options. I even opted to do an FBA on both suit and shelf bra. I really like this part of the pattern!

As I placed the racerback, I discovered the front sides were WAY weird and needed some sort of strap. If I hadn't, my breasts may have fallen out. So I grabbed some boxer waistband elastic that I had as scraps and used it. There is only 1 strap from side seam to the racer. The other elastic is that same boxer waistband stuff I used as the bra band elastic, yet another scrap. The lining is a unique, never before seen fabric used typically for sports bras. I got it as Rose City Textiles was closing.

The fit is good in some areas and others need help. I've learned I need more length in the lower front (because this was camel toeing super hard) and also for the bust, but I prefer a higher neckline. When your friend's 5 year old decides to stuff his hand down your clevage because it looks fun, that's reason enough.

The other area that really needs some help is the front leg opening. I've always had a larger thigh in the front, probably from lots of years swimming. I never wear hipsters or any low leg, because it never stays there. It always rides up and I have wedges of fabric at my hip crease which is uncomfortable for walking and stuff.

You can see there's SO much fabric that this is wanting to roll up as I move. Not cool. It's great if that leg shape works for your body. Mine, however, needs an adjustment for a "french cut" leg, which works out to be more of a bikini leg when it's on my body. You'll notice above that I need to remove a lot of fabric and that the suit naturally wants to hang out at a higher leg opening. This photo on the left is when I spend the whole time pulling it down while wearing it. I don't like to tug, or fuss with any of my clothing.

I was super disappointed with this suit the first time I wore it. I felt yucky about the camel toe shit. I don't want to advertise that way. It's taken me weeks to get back to it. So, I think I'll be ripping out part of the elastic and redoing the leg. I hope I'll be able to fix it and wear it soon! :)

I have a feeling I'll make other mods to this suit and make it again. Bravo Bella patterns are really great and quite easy to follow. If you're looking for a low leg, lots of bum coverage suit, this is a GREAT one. . But, I'm already on to 2 other Jalie suits, the princess tankini from pin-up girls and more.